Prisoners, Criminals and Community Responsibility
On this page, you will find the results of a collaborative research project between Frisch and Neveh Channah. Each class invited speakers to their school, and reflected on the speeches in our discussion tab above. We even shared a speaker in real-time using Flashmeeting. See the results below.

Neveh Channa has used this mini- project to launch our "Ifaces 2010" Bagrut (matriculation) project, which focuses on extraordinary Israelis who have contributed to making Israel a better place to live.

Frisch has used the project to develop their year-long theme of "Exploration" as they explored the prison systems in the USA and Israel.



Life Imprisonment for Juveniles?


Consider the issue of life-imprisonment for juvenile criminals. Post on the Frisch Cause and Effect page. (optional for NC students)
Click on the links below to read a debate and articles on this issue.

NY Times Debate Page on Juvenile Imprisonment
NY Times Science Pageon The Biological Difference in Teens

In a landmark decision, the Israeli High Court of Justice on Thursday overturned a law providing for the establishment of a privately-owned and run prison on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. - Jerusalem Post



Preparing for our Guests

David Ir Shai, Prisoner Rehabilitation

Compile questions to ask our guest speakers. Post in the discussion tab above. Reply to the appropriate posting.

Firstly, on Monday, November 23, 2009, David Ir Shai, Director of Prisoner Rehabilitation for the Jerusalem area, will visit Neveh Channah. He will speak about his program, and will answer questions about the program and its end results. The Frisch School 10th grade class will be in attendance, via Flashmeeting videoconference and will be actively involved in the session.
View the recorded Flashmeeting with David Ir Shai here
The actual talk begins at minute 56 of the recording.






Rav Daniel Rhein: Our Responsibility to Criminals

Secondly, on Wednesday, Rav Daniel Rhein, spiritual guide at Yeshivat Har Etzion, and Efrat Resident, will speak about his experiences volunteering in the Israeli prison system. He will delve into the question of "Society's Responsibility to the Criminal."




Reflecting on NC's Speakers


Answer the following questions in the discussion.
What points did you find surprising or interesting in the speeches we heard last week?
What do you believe your responsibility is to convicted criminals?

Did your viewpoint change in any way based on what you heard from our speakers? If so, how?



Dr. Silberstein:Prison Psychologist


On Monday, November 30, Dr. Adam Silberstein, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, CA who is now in private practice but who worked for the California state prison system as a psychologist for inmates, addressed the Frisch 10H2 class. Below is a summary of his talk:

Prison Talk by Dr. Silberstein


Rabbi Twerski: Drugs, Alcohol & Criminals

. Rabbi Abraham Twerski is a psychologist Mr. David Ir Shai met with when Mr. Ir Shai came to America to learn about ways to deal with drug and alcohol abuse. Dr. Silberstein told us how great a role drugs and alcohol plays in the committing of crime. Consider what Rabbi Twerski says on the Mishnah about different activities that "remove a man from the world" (3:14). How do drugs and alcohol "remove a man from the world"?

Rav Twerski and Remove a Man From the World

Reflections

Check out the discussion tab one more time to see students final reflections on this topic.